Lord Dufferin and Ava was entertained by the London Chamber
of Commerce on Wednesday, and in returning thanks for his health, alluded to the great value of India as a market. Our trade with the Empire amounts to £64,000,000 a year, £34,000,000 being exports, and exceeds our trade with any other country except the United States. India takes ten million pounds more of our goods than France does, and seven millions more than Germany. The figures are remarkable, and Lord Dufferin might have added that they are capable of indefinite expansion. If India im- ported head for head as Ceylon does, our exports to India alone would be £400,000,000 a year. Lord Dufferin agreed that expansion depended in a large degree upon the extension of the railway system, and urged capitalists to make railways on their own account, as he was sure they would pay. That is accurate; but will the Government of India give the necessary powers, and liberty to the share- holders to charge what they please, subject to a liability, if they divide too much, to be bought out P And are they willing to allow the constructors of feeding-lines to try an excessively narrow gauge and very low speeds P What the producing districts of India want is certainty of delivery, not rapidity, so that a feeding-railway shall resemble a river with the stream flowing both ways.
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